‘There are a lot of bureaucrats here who are members of the club.You have the capacity to build Bangalore and have done it. So why haven’t you built a new Bangalore Golf Club?’
BENGALURU
The Bangalore Golf Club (BGC), the oldest golf course outside the British Isles, on Wednesday celebrated its 150th anniversary, an occasion that was marked with plenty of recollections on the remarkable journey of the iconic course.
Established in 1876 by a group of British aristocrats, the course initially featured 12 holes and served for decades as a training ground for the Army.
In 2002, the landscape underwent a complete transformation, giving rise to an 18-hole, international-standard golf course. Spread across 60 acres of lush, undulating greens and rich tree cover, the course is a regular pit stop for domestic amateur events.
Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, a fellow BGC member, unveiled a statue and a new sewage treatment plant to mark the occasion.
Happy to see the club — situated in the heart of the city and neighbouring his official residence — celebrate its sesquicentennial, Shivakumar urged its members to aspire at creating fresh history.
“It gives me immense pride to be a part of history. But I’m going to say a few things openly. There are a lot of bureaucrats here who are members of the club.
“You have the capacity to build Bangalore and have done it. So why haven’t you built a new Bangalore Golf Club? he asked.
“I don’t believe in reading history or writing it. I believe in creating history. That should be your motto. A couple of private players took risks and built new courses on the outskirts of Bengaluru. I would urge you take a similar initiative and build a new course,” added the chief minister while assuring his support.